O sistema atmosfera-gelo marinho é complexo e fortemente acoplado. Em uma região de transição entre a cobertura de gelo marinho e o mar aberto a interação entre esse sistema é particularmente intensa, sendo significativa o suficiente para influenciar a circulação atmosférica de grande escala e a distribuição de gelo marinho. Assim, o objetivo principal deste trabalho foi analisar as interações entre os ciclones extratropicais e a variabilidade extrema do gelo marinho nos setores dos mares de Bellingshausen-Amundsen (MBA) e do mar de Weddell (MW), no período de verão e inverno austral entre 1989 e 2007. Foram utilizados dados de extensão de gelo marinho do NSIDC/NASA; campos atmosféricos da superfície até os altos níveis da troposfera das reanálises do ERA-Interim (ECMWF); composição de imagens de satélite do canal infravermelho do SSEC; Índice de Niño Oceânico do CPC/NOAA. As anomalias de alta frequência (período de 2-10 dias) e interanual (período maior que 370 dias) foram obtidas aplicando-se a transformada rápida de Fourier nas séries temporais (1989-2007). Os extremos de gelo marinho foram obtidos através do primeiro e terceiro quartil da distribuição dos dados. As características da circulação atmosférica de alta frequência e interanual associadas aos eventos extremos negativos (ENGM) e positivos (EPGM) de gelo marinho, na mesma escala de tempo, foram obtidas através de composições defasadas das anomalias dos campos atmosféricos. Para evidenciar e exemplificar os padrões encontrados nas composições de alta frequência apresenta-se uma análise sinótica de estudo de casos para o setor dos MBA durante o inverno austral, em eventos ENGM e EPGM, separando os casos em fases distintas do fenômeno tropical El Niño. Foi utilizada a estatística de ciclones do Automatic Cyclone Tracking, da Universidade de Melbourne, para analisar a ocorrência de ciclones associados aos períodos de mínima e máxima extensão de gelo marinho na escala interanual. Os resultados mostram que no verão e inverno austral, os eventos ENGM de alta frequência no setor dos MBA e do MW estão associados com as anomalias dos campos atmosféricos, na mesma escala temporal, que se assemelham a um trem de ondas ocorrido a partir de três dias anteriores ao evento extremo. A anomalia ciclônica no oeste e a anomalia anticiclônica no leste do setor resultam em uma anomalia de ventos de norte e, consequentemente, a anomalias positivas de temperatura do ar. Essa configuração anômala contribui para os eventos ENGM através do derretimento do gelo marinho e do seu próprio transporte em direção às latitudes maiores pelos ventos de norte anômalos. As anomalias de alta frequência dos campos atmosféricos em todos os casos (composições defasadas) de eventos EPGM apresentam fases opostas em relação aos eventos ENGM. Portanto, fases distintas do trem de ondas induzem na modulação de extremos de gelo marinho opostos. Em relação às análises sinóticas dos eventos ENGM e EPGM em fases distintas do fenômeno El Niño, verificou-se que em períodos de El Niño há uma intensificação do jato subtropical e um enfraquecimento do jato polar no Pacífico Sul. Há uma menor atuação dos ciclones extratropicais, predominando o sistema de cristas e cavados. Na fase de La Niña há um reforço do jato polar e uma intensa atividade ciclônica sobre os MBA. No evento ENGM (EPGM) há uma associação entre os ventos de norte (de sul) com a vanguarda (retaguarda) dos sistemas ciclônicos em superfície. Na fase Neutra verificou-se uma intensificação do jato polar e uma atuação do sistema de cristas/cavados e de sistemas ciclônicos em superfície. Na análise da influência da circulação atmosférica interanual na variabilidade extrema do gelo marinho, na mesma escala de tempo, observou-se que a fase quente (fria) do ENSO provavelmente está associada com eventos ENGM (EPGM) nos MBA e com eventos EPGM (ENGM) no MW. Sobre a influência da variabilidade interanual da extensão do gelo marinho na atividade ciclônica, nas composições de anomalias interanuais de PNMM em relação aos eventos ENGM nos MBA (lag = 0) no verão, há um predomínio de anomalias positivas de pressão ao nível médio do mar (PNMM) sobre grande parte do Oceano Austral, o que contribuiria para uma menor profundidade e raio dos sistemas em superfície. Já em relação aos eventos ENGM no MW, verifica-se que no lag = 0 há um predomínio de anomalias negativas de PNMM no Oceano Austral, o que contribuiria para um aumento da profundidade e raio dos ciclones. / The sea ice-atmosphere system is complex and tightly coupled. In a transition region between the coverage of sea ice and open ocean the interaction between this system is particularly intense, being significant enough to influence large-scale atmospheric circulation and sea ice distribution. Thus, the main objective of this study was to analyze the interactions between extratropical cyclones and extreme variability of sea ice in the sectors of the Bellingshausen-Amundsen Seas (BAS) and the Weddell Sea (WS), in the period of austral summer and winter between 1989 and 2007. We used sea ice extent data from NSIDC/NASA; atmospheric fields (surface to higher tropospheric levels) from ERA-Interim reanalysis; SSEC IR satellite image composition; and the Oceanic Niño Index CPC/NOAA. Anomalies of high-frequency (2-10 days) and interannual (longer than 370 days) were obtained by applying a fast Fourier transform in the time series (1989-2007). The extremes of sea ice were obtained from the first and third quartile of the data distribution. The characteristics of high-frequency atmospheric circulation and interannual associated with negative (NESI) and positive (PESI) extreme events of sea ice at the same time scale, were obtained from the lagged composites of the anomalies of atmospheric fields. To highlight and illustrate the patterns found in the composites of high frequency presents a synoptic analysis of case studies for the sector of the BAS during the austral winter at NESI and PESI events, separating the cases in different stages of the tropical El Niño phenomenon. Was used a statistical cyclone of Automatic Cyclone Tracking, from University of Melbourne, to analyze the occurrence of cyclones associated with periods of minimum and maximum extent of sea ice in the interannual scale. The results show that in the austral summer and winter, the NESI events of high frequency in the sector of the BAS and the WS are associated with the anomalies of atmospheric fields in the same timescale that resemble a wave train occurring from three days before the extreme event. The cyclonic anomaly in the west and anticyclonic anomaly in the east sector result in an anomaly of north winds and, consequently, the positive anomalies of air temperature. This anomalous configuration contributes for events NESI by sea ice melting and its own transport to higher latitudes by anomalous north winds. Synoptic atmospheric fields anomalies, in all PESI event cases are in opposite phases to NESI events. Therefore, different phases of the circumpolar wave train induce modulation of concurrent sea ice extremes. Regarding the synoptic analysis of events NESI and PESI in different phases of El Niño, it was found that during periods of El Niño it has a strengthening of the subtropical jet and a weakening of the polar jet in the South Pacific. There is less activity of extratropical cyclones, and the predominant system of ridge and troughs. In the La Niña case studies, has a strengthening of the polar jet and an intense cyclonic activity over the BAS. In the NESI (PESI) event there is an association between the north (south) winds at the vanguard (rear) of the cyclone systems at surface. In the Neutral phase case studies, there is an intensification of the polar jet and performance of the system of ridge/troughs and cyclonic systems at surface. In the analysis of the influence of interannual atmospheric circulation on extreme variability of sea ice, at the same time scale, it was observed that the warm (cold) phase of ENSO are probably associated with NESI (PESI) events at BAS and with PESI (NESI) events in the WS. On the influence of interannual variability of sea ice extent in the cyclonic activity, in the composites of interannual anomalies of mean sea level pressure (MSLP) in relation to NESI events in the BAS (lag = 0) in the summer, there is a predominance of positive anomalies of MSLP over much of the Southern Ocean, which would contribute to a lower depth and radius of the surface systems. In relation to NESI events in WS, it appears that in the lag = 0 there is a predominance of negative anomalies of MSLP in the Southern Ocean, which would contribute to an increase in depth and radius cyclones.

Les mammifères marins de l'Océan Austral sont des éléments essentiels des écosystèmes marins antarctiques et des sentinelles de l’état des océans polaires. Comprendre comment les conditions océanographiques déterminent leurs habitats préférentiels est essentiel pour identifier de quelle façon et dans quelle région ces mammifères acquièrent les ressources nécessaires à leur déplacement, leur croissance, leur reproduction et donc leur survie. Les éléphants de mer du Sud (Mirounga leonina) se déplacent dans l’océan austral à l’échelle des bassins océaniques pour s’alimenter en plongeant en moyenne à 500 m et jusqu’à 2000 m de profondeur. En fonction de leur colonie d’origine, de leur sexe, et de leur âge, ils exploitent des régions radicalement différentes de l’océan austral, mettant ainsi en œuvre des stratégies alimentaires diversifiées. Les éléphants de mer de Kerguelen utilisent deux zones préférentiellement: la zone du Front Polaire ou la zone Antarctique couverte par la banquise. Dans cette thèse, les stratégies alimentaires des voyages post-mue Antarctiques de 46 mâles et femelles éléphants de mer de Kerguelen ont été étudiées. Une série temporelle de 11 années (2004-2014) de données de déplacement, de plongées et de données hydrologiques a été analysée pour déterminer le rôle des paramètres océanographiques et de glaces de mer impliqués dans l’acquisition des ressources alimentaires des éléphants de mer en Antarctique. L’influence de la variabilité spatio-temporelle et interannuelle de la glace de mer associée à la position des mâles et des femelles ainsi que le rôle des polynies côtières sur les stratégies alimentaires des mâles en hiver ont été examinés. / Understanding how physical properties of the environment underpin habitat selection of large marine vertebrates is crucial in identifying how and where animals acquire resources necessary for locomotion, growth and reproduction and ultimately their fitness. The Southern Ocean harbors one of the largest and most dynamic marine ecosystems on our planet which arises from the presence of two majors physical features, (i) the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and (ii) the seasonal sea ice cover region. In the Antarctic, marine predators are exposed to climate-induced shifts in atmospheric circulation and sea ice. However, because these shifts vary regionally, and because much remains to be understood about how individual animals use their environment, it has been difficult to make predictions on how animals may respond to climate variability. Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) are a major consumer of Southern Ocean resources and use two main large scale foraging strategies, (i) feeding in the frontal zone of the Southern Ocean, or (ii) feeding in the seasonal sea ice region. In the present thesis I examined the winter post-moulting foraging strategies of 46 male and female Kerguelen southern elephant seals which utilized the second strategy. Using an eleven year time-series of tracking, diving, and seal-collected hydrographic data (from 2004-2014) I assessed their movements and foraging performance in relation to in situ hydrographic and sea ice conditions. The influence of both the spatio-temporal and inter-annual variability of sea ice around seal locations was investigated, and an investigation on the role of polynya for male elephant seal during winter conducted.

O ambiente Antártico é caracterizado por condições ambientais restritivas de clima, hábitat e biogeografia. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a diversidade de leveduras em amostras marinhas e terrestres do ambiente Antártico, além da prospecção de lipases que atuem em processos que requerem baixas e moderadas temperaturas. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, 97 leveduras foram recuperadas por semeadura em meio de cultura PDA e YMA a partir de diferentes amostras coletadas na OPERANTAR XXVIII (verão 2010), das quais foram identificados 12 gêneros e 21 espécies. Destas, 45 apresentaram atividade de lipase e duas foram selecionadas para o ensaio de otimização da produção enzimática: C. laurentii L59 e L. scotti L117. A extração de lipase de L. scottii L117 foi avaliada por Sistema de Duas fases Aquosas e o sistema micelar utilizando TX-114 foi o mais eficiente para purificação parcial desta enzima. Por fim, a avaliação da diversidade das 405 leveduras isoladas de macroalgas e liquens (coletadas na OPERANTAR XXXII no verão de 2013) revelou a ocorrência de 24 taxons de leveduras a partir das amostras de macroalgas e 18 taxons a partir das amostras de liquens, sendo apenas cinco espécies comuns a estes dois substratos. / The Antarctic continent is characterized by restrictive environmental conditions of climate, habitats and biogeography. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity of yeasts in marine and terrestrial samples of the Antarctic environments, as well as the propspecting of lipases that can act in proceses that require low and moderate temperatures. According to the results, 97 yeasts were recovered from different samples collected in OPERANTAR XXVIII (summer 2010), representing 21 different species. Among them, 45 showed lipase activity and two were selected for the optimization of enzyme production: C. laurentii L59 and L. scotti L117. Extraction of L. scottii L117 lipase was assessed by Aqueous Two-Phase System and the micellar system TX-114 was the most efficient for partial enzyme purification. Finally, the diversity evaluation of 405 isolates from seaweeds and lichens (collected in XXXII OPERANTAR, summer of 2013) revealed the occurrence of 24 taxa from macroalgae samples and 18 taxa from lichens samples, being only five substrates common to these two substrata.

Baseado em estudos morfológicos, as macroalgas marinhas da Baía do Almirantado (Ilha Rei George, Península Antártica) estão representadas por 55 táxons, sendo 30 Rhodophyta, 16 Phaeophyceae e 9 Chlorophyta. Recentemente foi proposta a utilização de 'DNA barcode' para uma rápida e acurada identificação de espécies de macroalgas. Sendo a região 5\' do gene mitocondrial cox 1utilizado para identificação de algas vermelhas e pardas; o gene plastidial tufA utilizado na identificação de algas verdes; e o domínio V do gene 23S rRNA - UPA, universal plastid amplicon, utilizado na identificação de organismos fotossintetizantes. O objetivo desse trabalho foi obter sequências do tipo 'DNA barcodes' e de outros marcadores filogenéticos para a formação do primeiro banco de dados moleculares para as macroalgas da Baía do Almirantado, Antártica. Cerca de 100 espécimes de macroalgas foram coletados, em diversos pontos da baía, durante as OPERANTARes XXV e XXIX, que ocorreram durante dezembro de 2006 a junho de 2007 e dezembro de 2010 a janeiro de 2011, respectivamente. No presente trabalho, foi obtido um total de 209 sequências, cobrindo 29 espécies das 55 citadas para o local, sendo que 157 sequências são para marcadores moleculares do tipo 'DNA barcode', das quais 95 sequências são para o marcador do cloroplasto UPA, 39 sequências para o marcador mitocondrial cox1 e 23 sequências para o tufA. As sequências consenso dos 'DNA barcodes' foram submetidas à análise de distância para determinar os agrupamentos genéticos. Após a análise dos agrupamentos obtidos para os 'DNA barcodes', foram selecionados espécimes, representando cada táxon, para o sequenciamento dos marcadores filogenéticos rbcL, SSU ou ITS totalizando 52 sequências. Neste estudo, foram obtidos dados moleculares para 8 espécies de Chlorophyta, 9 espécies de Phaeophyceae e 14 espécies de Rhodophyta. Entre as espécies de Chlorophyta, Prasiola sp. e Protomonostroma rosulatum (citada anteriormente como P. undulatum), de Phaeophyceae Chordaria linearis e as Rhodophyta Acanthococcus antarticus, Plumariopsis peninsularis e Callophyllis sp. (citada anteriormente como Callophyllis atrosanguinea) são novas citações para a Baía do Almirantado. Sendo que a espécie Callophyllis sp. é possivelmente uma nova espécie. Outras duas espécies previamente citadas, baseado nos resultados moleculares, não ocorrem no local, Desmarestia chordalis e Pyropia woolhousiae. Com os resultados obtidos neste trabalho o número de espécies que ocorrem na Baía do Almirantado passa a 57 táxons / Based on morphological studies, the marine macroalgae of Admiralty Bay ( King George Island , Antarctic Peninsula ) are represented by 55 taxa: 30 Rhodophyta, 16 Phaeophyceae and 9 Chlorophyta. It was recently proposed the use of DNA barcodes for quick and accurate identification of seaweeds. The 5\' end region of mitochondrial cox1 gene is used to identify brown and red algae, the plastid gene tufA is used in identifying green algae, and the V domain of the 23S rRNA gene - UPA universal plastid amplicon is used to identify photosynthetic organisms in general. The aim of this study was to obtain sequences of DNA barcodes and other phylogenetic markers for the formation of the first molecular database for macroalgae of Admiralty Bay, Antarctica. About 100 specimens of macroalgae were collected at various points of the bay during the OPERANTARs XXV and XXIX , which occurred during December 2006 to June 2007 and December 2010 and January 2011 respectively. In this study, we obtained a total of 209 sequences, covering 29 of the 55 species cited for the site. Of those 157 sequences are DNA barcodes, of which 95 are for the marker sequences of chloroplast UPA, 39 sequences for the mitochondrial markercox1 and 23 sequences for the tufA. The consensus sequences of the DNA barcodes were subjected to distance analysis to determine the genetic groupings.After analyzing the clusters obtained for the DNA barcodes, specimens representing each taxon were selected to the sequencing of phylogenetic markers rbcL, SSU and/or ITS sequences totaling 52 sequences for those markers. In this study, molecular data were obtained for 8 species of Chlorophyta , 9 species of Phaeophyceae and 14 species of Rhodophyta. Among the Chlorophyta species, Prasiola sp. and Protomonostroma rosulatum> (previously cited as P. undulatum), the Phaeophyceae Chordaria linearis and the Rhodophyta Acanthococcus antarticus, Plumariopsis peninsularis and Callophyllis sp. (previously cited as Callophyllis atrosanguinea) are new records for the Admiralty Bay. And the species Callophyllis sp. is possibly a new species. Other two species previously mentioned, based on molecular results, Desmarestia chordalis and Pyropia woolhousiae do not occur at the site. With the results obtained in this work the number of species that occur in Admiralty Bay are of 57 taxa.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Joint Program in Physical Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-106). / A modern general circulation model of the Southern Ocean with one-sixth of a degree resolution is optimized to the observed ocean in a weighted least squares sense. Convergence toward the state estimate solution is carried out by systematically adjusting the control variables (prescribed atmospheric state, initial conditions, and open northern boundary at 24.7 S) using the adjoint method. A cost function compares the model state to data from CTD synoptic sections, hydrographic climatology, satellite altimetry, and XBTs. Costs attributed to control variable perturbations ensure a physically realistic solution. An optimized solution is determined by the weights placed on the cost function terms. The state estimation procedure, along with the weights used, is described. A significant result is that the adjoint method is shown tto work at eddy-permitting resolution in the highly-energetic Southern Ocean. At the time of the writing of this thesis the state estimate was not filly consistent with the observations. An analysis of the remaining misfit, as well as the mass transport in the preliminary state, is presented. / by Matthew R. Mazloff. / S.M.

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Here we investigate sedimentological responses to past climate change in shallow to deep marine depositional environments. Our primary study spans from the Late Pliocene to the Pleistocene (3.3 to 0.7 Ma), and features results from two International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Sites U1525 and U1524. Each of these sites is discussed in separate chapters here (Chapters 1 and 2). This interval experienced the change from the warming of the Late Pliocene, known as the Mid-Piacenzian Warming Period, to the Pleistocene cooling. This shift significantly impacted the expansion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, sea ice/polynya formation, and, notably, the genesis of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), a crucial component of the global thermohaline circulation. In Chapter 1, we propose that turbidite currents, arising from the formation of dense shelf water (DSW) in the Ross Sea (a precursor to AABW), leave a distinct record in the levees of Hillary Canyon. This canyon acts as a conduit, channeling DSW into the deep ocean and contributing to AABW production. By analyzing turbidite beds based on their frequency, thickness, and grain size, we gain insights into the historical occurrence and magnitude of these currents. Furthermore, we explore the influence of factors such as shelf availability and sea ice/polynya formation within the broader climate context of AABW formation. Chapter 2 shifts its focus to the sedimentological variability from shelf-to-slope along Hillary Canyon. This chapter examines the turbidite record associated with AABW formation within the shared timeframe (2.1 to 0.7 million years ago) between IODP Sites U1524 and U1525, and the impact of along slope currents and other processes in the sedimentary deposition and transport. The second study interval (Chapter 3), focuses on the regional sedimentological response proximal to a hydrothermal vent complex associated with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ca. 56 Ma), a global warming event during which thousands of Gt C was released into the ocean-atmosphere on Kyr timescales. IODP Site U1568, strategically located near the hydrothermal vent complex and part of a broader drilling transect in the Modgunn Arch, North Atlantic, is the main study subject. This site's proximity to the vent complex offers a distinctive environment for refining our understanding of stratigraphy and sedimentology within the PETM. We achieve this through a comprehensive analysis of grain size and composition, coupled with a comparison to XRF data. Our findings show that the timing between the onset of the PETM and the response of the sedimentary system to the warming, reflected in the grain size coarsening after the start of the PETM, is not synchronous. Notably, the transition from a marine to a more terrestrial composition predates this shift in grain size, aligning with the PETM onset instead. / Doctor of Philosophy / Deep-marine core records are invaluable sources of sedimentological information that provide insights into the ocean's response to past climates. These cores, extracted from the deep-ocean floor, contain layers of sediment that accumulate over time because of the different processes that occur in the ocean. Analyzing these sediments, by looking at their physical characteristics like how frequently are they deposited, the thickness of the layers, their grain size, and their composition helps to reconstruct past environmental conditions and understand how the oceans have responded to climatic changes. This dissertation focuses on studying the record of two main processes. The first one is the sedimentary record left behind by the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), one of the coldest (-1°C), deepest (> 2000 meters below sea level), and densest water masses in the ocean. AABW is a key component of the global ocean circulation system, often referred to as the "global conveyor belt" or the thermohaline circulation. This circulation pattern plays a crucial role in redistributing heat, salt, and nutrients around the world's oceans. AABW is formed near Antarctica through a process that begins with the cooling and sinking of surface waters near the continent. As these waters sink, they become denser and eventually form AABW, filling the deep ocean basins around Antarctica. The dense water flows from the surface to the bottom of the ocean forming turbidity currents. These turbidity currents, dense plumes of water and sediments, flow down submarine conduits, such as Hillary Canyon in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, leaving a sedimentary record in the levees or flanks, called turbidites. The turbidite sequences in sediment cores can reveal information about the frequency and magnitude of these currents, providing insights into the sediment transport processes in deep-marine settings, and for this work, the history of the AABW formation over the last 3.3 Ma. This study will help to understand what are the main controls for AABW formation across different climates in the past, and how we project this into the future climate scenarios. In the second part of the study (Chapter 3), we look at the sedimentary record of a warming event that happened around 56 million years ago. This event, known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), involved a significant amount of carbon being released into the air and oceans over thousands of years (150,000 to 200,000). Our focus is IODP Site U1568, located near a submarine hydrothermal vent, and part of a larger drilling transect in the North Atlantic's Modgunn Arch. The vent's unique location provides a crucial perspective for understanding how the system responded to the warming during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). This warming event was triggered by the release of carbon into the atmosphere, with the vent serving as one of the conduits for this release. To understand this, we studied the grain size and content of the sediment, and compared that with XRF data. Changes in grain size serve as indicators of shifts in the energy of the environment – coarser grains signify a more energetic system. Warmer weather, for instance, can increase precipitation, leading to more erosion and sediment influx into the basin. This influx also brings in more materials from the land, as evidenced by the presence of microfossils and plant fragments. Our discoveries indicate that the sedimentary system responded gradually to the PETM, as reflected in the coarsening of grain size after the PETM's onset. Notably, the transition from a marine to a more terrestrial composition occurred before the change in grain size, aligning more closely with the initiation of the PETM itself.